NBC's Hatfields & McCoys-esque drama on the way

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America really loves rumblin' rednecks

NBC plots a new, modern Hatfield-McCoy drama written by Charlize Theron. Interesting fact: It has the same name as the History Channel's Hatfields & McCoys drama.

It looks like the History Channel's Hatfields & McCoys has birthed the return of the western... sort of. At one point in time, Pittsburgh was definitely "the West," right? And Pittsburgh is where it's all about to go down.

According to Deadline.com, NBC has put in a pilot order for Hatfields & McCoys. The show, created by Charlize Theron and John Glenn (Eagle Eye), will give a modern retelling of the two families who have been at odds since practically the dawn of time (or at least the birth of America).

Set it Pittsburgh, Hatfields & McCoys picks up when a shocking death reignites the old feud between the two families. The McCoys — a family of blue-collar, working people — will exact revenge by trying to take over Pittsburgh, a city that the wealthy Hatfields have long held in their control. While it's not technically a western, except a lot of classic western drama like gun fights and cold, menacing stares.

If the History Channel's three-part miniseries is any indication, this is almost exactly the kind of show Americans want to watch. When their version of the Hatfield-McCoy feud hit airwaves, the channel averaged 13.8 million viewers during the three nights. That's impressive, even for regular network viewership, even more so for a cable channel.

The ratings success has not only sparked NBC's new drama, but also a Hatfield-McCoy reality show on the History Channel that will focus on the families' descendants. The families have long since buried the hatchet.

Deadline described a 1944 Time story about how the two families got along and even worked together in the war efforts. More recently, in 2003, at the annual Hatfield-McCoy festival, several dozen descendants signed an official truce, putting to bed the last of the conflict? So, why do they need a reality show? Who knows. But, we'll be watching to find out!